Should I use JPEG or AVIF?

For most use cases, JPEG is the recommended default. Use JPEG when: universal delivery, fast encodes, simple compatibility. Use AVIF when: aggressive size reduction, photo-heavy pages, build-time optimization.

Can I convert between JPEG and AVIF?

Yes. Use optimo to convert between them with a single command. Run "npx optimo file --format avif" to convert from JPEG to AVIF.

JPEG vs AVIF

JPEG is fast and universal. AVIF can be significantly smaller at similar quality, but encoding is slower and compatibility can require fallbacks.

Last updated: 2026-03-18

JPEG is fast and universal. AVIF can be significantly smaller at similar quality, but encoding is slower and compatibility can require fallbacks. For most projects, JPEG is the recommended default.

Key differences

Topic	JPEG	AVIF
Typical size	Larger	Smaller
Encode speed	Fast	Slower
Fallback needs	Rare	Sometimes

When to use JPEG

Universal delivery
Fast encodes
Simple compatibility

When to use AVIF

Aggressive size reduction
Photo-heavy pages
Build-time optimization

Our recommendation

For most web projects, use JPEG. JPEG is best for universal delivery. Choose AVIF when aggressive size reduction.

Next steps

Optimize JPEG Compress JPEG Resize JPEG JPEG format guide

Convert between them

Convert JPEG to AVIF Convert AVIF to JPEG

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between JPEG and AVIF?: JPEG is fast and universal. AVIF can be significantly smaller at similar quality, but encoding is slower and compatibility can require fallbacks.
Should I use JPEG or AVIF?: For most use cases, JPEG is the recommended default. Use JPEG when: universal delivery, fast encodes, simple compatibility. Use AVIF when: aggressive size reduction, photo-heavy pages, build-time optimization.
Can I convert between JPEG and AVIF?: Yes. Use optimo to convert between them with a single command. Run "npx optimo file --format avif" to convert from JPEG to AVIF.